Billy Go's Blog, page 48

Getting complimented in Korean (Comedy Skit)

Even as a beginning Korean learner in Korea, I remember being complimented frequently on my Korean. In fact, it seemed as though no matter how good (or poor) my Korean was, I would get compliments. In the beginning, this was very motivating to me, as I felt I was truly improving. However as time went on I started to feel that Koreans simply are surprised to hear any Korean - they're not as picky as I thought at first. It seemed that most native Korean speakers loved to hear when I was trying to speak their language. The compliments only started becoming less frequent as I became able to have full and natural conversations.

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"Or" ~(이)나, ~거나, 아니면 | Live Class Abridged

My most recent live stream was about how to say "Or" in Korean.

In order to do this (it's a large topic), we needed to learn about several forms including (이)나, 거나, and 아니면.

We also learned a more efficient way to ask people to make choices using "Or," simply by splitting the question into two sentences.

The post "Or" ~(이)나, ~거나, 아니면 | Live Class Abridged appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

Using 를/을 있어요 is Wrong | Korean FAQ

This is a super common Korean mistake, and I've seen everyone from brand new beginners to high level beginners make this mistake.

Don't use the Object Marker (을/를) with the verb 있다 ("to exist"). Although it's not quite this simple, otherwise so many people wouldn't be making this mistake. There's a reason why this mistake exists in the first place, and it has to do with 있다 being used to mean "to have."

The post Using 를/을 있어요 is Wrong | Korean FAQ appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

Free Korean Typing Game – Hangul Attack (NEW UPDATE 2021)

Back in 2017 I released a free Korean typing game called "Hangul Attack." You can find the original post here. Here's the trailer for the new update.

It's the year 3021 and the Hangul Aliens have invaded the planet. Fortunately for us, they have a weakness - a standard Korean keyboard. Can you save earth from disaster?

How to play:

Type the letters or words as they fall down from the sky. If you miss one, a meteor will drop. You can shoot down meteors using your turret, which you can control using the arrow keys and the space bar. Try to shoot down any meteors before they touch the ground.

You can press Escape at any time to pause the game and practice the keyboard. Remember that some letters also require the Shift key to type.

If you'd like to practice before trying a real round, check out the Tutorial on the main menu.

There are 5 game modes, which can be chosen from the Options menu.

Consonants Only: This mode is for practicing only the consonants. The round ends after the timer finishes.Vowels Only: This mode is for practicing only the vowels. The round ends after the timer finishes.All Letters: This mode is for practicing both vowels and consonants. The round ends after the timer finishes.Master Mode: Letters will continue to fall more frequently and faster over time, making it more difficult the longer you play. There is no timer, so try to score as high as you can.Words: This mode is for practicing full words. Typing the wrong letter in a word will not cause a meteor to drop, but letting a word hit the ground will.

There are also a variety of falling items that you can find while playing.

Health Packs: These heal your health, but not completely.Comets: For a short time, the screen will freeze and everything slows down to a crawl.Nuclear Bombs: All letters, words, and meteors are instantly removed from the screen.Bonus Powerup: For a short time, you can earn double the points for any letter or word.Turret Powerup: There are 3 power levels, and each increases the size and speed of your turret's fire.

Download the game here:

Click here to download for Windows.

Click here to download for OSX (Mac). *

Click here to download for Linux.

* Note that OSX by default blocks any and all programs from outside sources (including this game). In order to play this game, you may need to temporarily allow this game to run in your system.

This new update (April 2021) brings a variety of new game improvements, some large and others small. For a complete list of changes, see below.

Updated 4/29/2021:

Added an additional 4 music tracks, for more variety. You can listen to the OST here.Added Credits, which can be accessed by clicking "GO! Billy Korean" on the main menu.Word mode now includes nearly 1,200 common vocabulary words.Word mode starts off 25% slower than previously, for an easier transition.Meteors now cause the ground to shake upon impact.The ground will start burning as your health becomes lower.The Options menu can now be exited using the Escape key.Added a Quit button when the game is paused to exit the round immediately.Added buttons to disable all music and/or sound effects from the Options menu.The turret's power levels are now easier to distinguish by appearance.Adjusted the spawn rate of power-ups to be more consistent and fair.The game mode is displayed on the Game Over and Victory screens.Bug fix: The game mode is now remembered between rounds.Bug fix: The game window now correctly shows "Hangul Attack."Bug fix: Fixed a bug where it could become impossible to exit the Options menu without starting the game.Bug fix: Fixed an issue where the turret's fire could randomly disappear in full screen mode.Bug fix: Fixed an issue where a blank word could randomly fall, causing the game to crash.Bug fix: Longer words no longer spawn toward the edges of the screen.Bug fix: Words' health bars now properly reset after completing a word.New feature: Added a Tournament Mode, which removes the ability to pause the game. This can be activated by typing "bangtanacademy" on the Main Menu.

The post Free Korean Typing Game – Hangul Attack (NEW UPDATE 2021) appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

좋다 vs 좋아하다 | Korean FAQ

Both 좋다 and 좋아하다 can mean "to like" something, but their use is different and they can't be interchanged.

Do you know how to use these verbs differently, and when to use one or the other?

The post 좋다 vs 좋아하다 | Korean FAQ appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

Learn Korean Ep. 119: 채(로) “In the State Of”

For the first time, Keykat has actually volunteered to help me clean! I'm so shocked, I don't even know what she should help with. I guess she should be able to clean the ceiling lights?

It's time for a new "Learn Korean" episode! Let's learn about the grammar form 채(로).

채(로) is used to describe the current state of a noun, and it's used with an action verb. Essentially, it's using a verb to describe a noun.

Click here to download a free PDF of this lesson!

The post Learn Korean Ep. 119: 채(로) “In the State Of” appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

아/어/etc. 다가 Changing Locations | Live Class Abridged

Have you heard of the ~아/어/etc. 다가 form before? This form is not the same as the regular ~다가 form, nor is it the ~다가는 form I taught previously. It's also not ~에다가, which can attach to nouns. And finally it's not the same as ~ㅆ다가 which I also explain in this live stream.

~아/어/etc. 다가 is an advanced level grammar form that's used to show that two actions happen in order, that both actions happen in different locations, and that an object is moved from one location to the next one.

The post 아/어/etc. 다가 Changing Locations | Live Class Abridged appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

One Hanja every Korean learner should know 正 (한자) | Korean FAQ

I usually don't recommend that beginners learn Hanja (한자), as its benefits come mostly later on through vocabulary and making new words.

However, there are some exceptions. One of those is 正 (read as "정"). This character is useful even as a beginner, especially if you're going to be ordering food in a Korean restaurant. And fortunately it's very easy to read and fast to write with only 5 strokes.

The post One Hanja every Korean learner should know 正 (한자) | Korean FAQ appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

Grading your Korean #3 – More natural intonation | Billy Go

Since changing gears in the "Grading Korean" series, we've reviewed 3 Korean learners already who are doing excellent. And today's 4th Korean speaker is Geona, who also did a great job.

In this episode I talk first about what she does well, and then focus on what she can improve on - intonation. Intonation is something most learners of all levels struggle with (I struggled with this a lot too), and I give some tips for how to improve it that are effective.

The post Grading your Korean #3 – More natural intonation | Billy Go appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.

다가는 Continuing Actions | Live Class Abridged

Did you know that ~다가는 is not the same as the form ~다가? It's also not the same as ~아/어/etc. 다가, but that's for another lesson.

In this Advanced level class I explain what ~다가는 is, how to use it, and when you would want to use it instead of ~다가.

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